The Bambusa
tulda can be found in the biome of the Southeast
Asian rainforest. It often grows as an undergrowth
scattered or in patches in the forest. It does very
well in a moist environment with a lot of rainfall.
It likes temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit
and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Rainforests get around
100 inches of rain per year. Rainforests are found
mainly around the equator. They hold many varieties
of plants and animals. The vegetation in
rainforests grows in layers. Some of the layers get
sunlight, but the bottom layers get little or no
sunlight.

This
particular bamboo can grow anywhere between 40 feet
and 80 feet in height. It is approximately 3 inches
in diameter at maturity. This bamboo has dark green
straight stalky culms,

which are the stems. The leaves are long and narrow and
green in color. They grow alternately on opposing sides of
the stem, in two rows. Usually the blades fall off when the
leaves have matured. This leaves a sheath like base. Bamboo
is a perennial plant. Believe it or not, bamboo is not a
tree or a shrub, it is a grass. It is the largest grass. It
is very fast growing. In two to three months it is full
grown. The culms or stems never get thicker after they are
full grown. They only flower once in their lifetime and die
after they bloom. No matter where they grow, different
plants of the same species flower at the same time. New
plants grow from the seeds that resemble rice kernels. This
species life span is 25 to 40 years.

Bambusa tulda is
important to its environment. It can reduce soil erosion. It
sucks up water from heavy rains that might cause flooding.
It also provides shelter for many animals. A rainforest has
plenty of water for this plant to grow. It physically adapts
to its environment by growing tall fast so it gets a lot of
rain and sunlight.

Bambusa tulda is
mainly used by the Indian paper pulping industry. It is also
used for furniture, making baskets and reinforcing concrete.
This type of bamboo is used to make a sacred flute called
the "Eloo". It is also used for fishing rods. It is one of
the most useful species of bambusa.

Rainforests are
disappearing at the rate of 80 acres per minute, which is a
little over 1 acre per second. Bambusa tulda is not on the
endangered species list. It is native to India, Burma,
Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. Although there is no
formal conservation plan, some of the local people are
trying to conserve it in their area. They do this in their
homestead and settled forest areas by planting it and being
cautious about how much they harvest.